Following the Dawn
by meowmeow814
Summary: When Soyo is attacked, she and Kagura must escape to Kyoto. But what happens when Kagura must team up with the Shinsengumi, and one of them is Soyo's...? Follows the historical Nakasendo/ Kiso Path connecting Kyoto and Edo/ Tokyo. AU. Dropped (I'm sorry; if someone wants to continue it, please message me!)
1. Prologue

A/N: Hello! First off, I'm sorry for publishing another fanfic... The beginning of this fanfic has been sitting around in my computer since last year? (maybe?) Shout out to all the people who I forced to read it back then! Anyway, it will take place in historical Japan and will follow an ancient path connecting Kyoto and Tokyo/ Edo called the Nakasendo or the Kiso path. ^^ I'll try to make it as historically accurate as possible. Finally, I named it as it is since the characters will be moving from East to West.

Rated for language. Thank you for reading this fanfic!

~meowmeow814

* * *

The diluted gray puddle quivered. The oscillations halted to reflect a young girl with startling scarlet hair. Amidst the unbroken horizon of corpses she stood, a lonely silhouette against the overcast sky. She hoisted her indigo umbrella over her shoulder. She didn't bother to open it as the rain began to fall, slowly, hesitantly, unsure of where to go. A rank whiff of fresh guts and blood swirled in the heavy air. As the girl's vision began to blur and her knees began to buckle, her mind was elsewhere with someone. Someone far, far away.

~o~

Hoo, hoo…

The muffled hoot of an owl echoed. Although the streets below were a glitzy, rowdy mess, it remained serene inside the Edo Castle. A pale face peeped between the outer screens. Kagura's petite hands tensely gripped the edges as she cracked them open. Her eyes darted around before fully sliding them away.

The full moon shone down upon the delicate inner garden, its luminous rays splashed over it like the touch from a silver King Midas. Kagura gingerly sat on the wooden ledge of the castle and let her bruised, scarred feet dangle. A cool puff of air blew, sweeping away any remnants of the humid summer day.

Kagura slowly unfurled her clenched fists and cupped them in front of her, raising them towards the moon. The beams washed over them too, and her already pallid hands became translucent. The peace and beauty and perfection of everything pricked Kagura's heart.

Suddenly, her heartbeat tripped. She gasped. Her breath choked. Her throat coiled and constricted. Again. Kagura doubled over and blood began to paint the polished, wooden floor.

When it died down, her throat was left like she had taken a swig of sand. Grinding together her teeth, Kagura silently endured without letting a single sob slip out. But her shoulders shook, and tears threatened to fall. _Pathetic piece of trash, stop being so weak_. _This is why Nii-chan left you and now look, there's no one to comfort you and you're alone. All alone and no one will save poor, little, "Kagura-chan"_. _That's what you get for being so weak, you deserved it, idiot, idiot, idiot…_ But one hot tear managed to roll its way down.

And one small finger caught it.

Eyesight blurry, panic and fear skittered down Kagura's spine to rub her eyes, to run away, to escape. But she just couldn't. She couldn't pull away. She wanted this odd warmth of something alive, right now, right then and there, and not three days ago out in the rain. She was tired of living in the comfort of the grinning, half rotten, half eaten skulls.

Against the warnings, Kagura brought her trembling hand up to the one frozen by her eyes. To her distant, pleasant surprise, it was cool and smooth to touch.

The swirling myriad of monochrome slowly oriented themselves into a blurry clarity. In the dim shadows, darkly luminous crimson eyes flooded her vision, the remaining, glowing embers beneath coal.

Kagura was mesmerized.


	2. Chapter 1

Kagura slid open the paper slides. "Soyo-chan, I brought some te-"

A sudden blur slashed before her, a sharp graze of the wind.

Her cerulean eyes widened.

But to Kagura it was slow, too slow.

She lunged forward as the tea slowly crashed to the ground.

Her outstretched hand connected, and she snapped the kunai. The slender metal resoundly shattered.

"A… are you alright, Soyo-chan…?" Kagura breathed shakily, her fingers trembling and the kunai clattering.

Soyo's eyes shimmered, unshed tears like fat drops of dew. "I-I'm fine, it's already...already been the fifth time," she hoarsely replied.

Soyo tried to stand but her knees gave away. She looked back up at Kagura with a watery smile. "No, really, I'm ok. Really."

"I never asked that," Kagura said as she threw away the kunai and grabbed Soyo's arm. "Come on now, we need to report this to Sadasada-sama…" Her words trailed away as Soyo slumped in her arms, unconscious. Kagura's eyes softened before coldly hardening, glinting ice-fire.

It was indeed the fifth time and she wasn't going to stand for this bullshit anymore.

~o~

"...Why did you tell him? Why do we need to go away," Soyo whispered, hurt scratching in her throat. She buried her face into the pillow.

Kagura sighed.

"Soyo-chan, even you admitted it; five times is five times too many. We can't stay here anymore, we need to move to somewhere safe. If I didn't happen to come by for tea… You could've... " Her words choked into silence.

"But you were there! You'll always be there for me!" Soyo cried, sitting upright. Betrayal glinted in her eyes as she stared at the bundle of blankets laying beside her. "Kagura-chan, you _know_ I've, we've, never even left this castle before. How could…in just two days… " The princess tiredly sank back into her blankets.

Kagura tried to reason again. "Don't you remember what your uncle said? The approaching _Joui_ and the 'Generation of Miracles', the five genius swordsmen born in this era… they're coming to attack Edo. Meaning we're screwed if we stay and get caught in crossfires. We _have_ to run to Kyoto."

No response came back.

Kagura wearily closed her eyes. She felt a headache like someone was banging a gong inside her brain.

Soyo gave a small exhausted sigh and screwed shut her eyes. _Forget Edo; I've never even taken a step out the castle! My entire life is tied down here! I can't just… just…_ She was drowning in waves of despair and shock and she couldn't see land nor lifeline. _There's nothing in Kyoto. I won't even be with Onii-sama anymore. It'll be just like back then…_ Bleakly, she began reminiscing, and her head went deeper and deeper under the crushing depths.

Something poked her hand. Soyo blinked out of her reverie as a hand clasped her own.

"...I'm sorry. I just… I can't trust myself to protect you… I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry for being a worthless, useless guard, I'm sorry I can't… I can't protect you…" Soyo's eyes widened as she heard a sniffle in the darkness.

 _To think I forgot something so important and took it for granted. I should be ashamed._

"...Kagura-chan! I love youuu!" Kagura yelped as Soyo suddenly crashed into her with an enormous bear hug. "I love you, I love you, I love youuu!"

"Wha- Don't surprise me like that! That really scared me, did'ya know?! God, you're always so… so…"

"Absolutely lovable, huggable, always the cute little cuddly princess?"

"No, that was _not_ the word I was looking for … but that's not wrong either," Kagura said with a grin. She ruffled the ebony head.

Soyo serenely smiled as her eyes closed, and sleep came peacefully.

~o~

The next day arrived with a gale of chaos.

Kagura barely had time to don her clothes and grab her umbrella before she was rushed away by several maids. By the time she had finished organizing the basic needs of the trip and essentially running ten laps around the castle, it was already afternoon.

Kagura groaned as her stomach gurgled obnoxiously loudly, attracting a couple glances. Her umbrella became a makeshift cane as she dragged herself to Soyo's room. _Maybe Soyo-chan saved me some breakfast_ , Kagura thought hopefully and slid away the screen without bothering to announce herself.

A person was sitting across Soyo at the low table, back facing Kagura. Strangely, the usual bamboo screen separating the princess from her guests was absent. The outer screens were ajar, enough to let in a breeze or two. Kagura cocked her head thoughtfully. _There shouldn't be anyone here when we're this busy right now…?_

The stranger had the broad back of a man. He had long, tawny hair that was tied back and flowed down. Wearing a traditional _hakama_ , the bottom pleated half was stark white whereas the top was unusually carmine. Oddly, he also wore a flowing white scarf.

 _Guess I should leave them and beg for food elsewher-_ "Ka-Kagura-chan! He-here, come sit down and have tea with us!" Soyo squeaked in a high pitched voice as she spotted Kagura inching her way out. The princess's face flushed further when she heard her own voice.

"Um, are you sure you want me to be here your Highne-"

"N-no, of course I don't want you to not be here!" Soyo cried.

Kagura blinked, but slowly nodded. Her eyes narrowed at the guest. Though scatterbrained, Soyo was still a princess well-acquainted with the toxic nature of the royal court, and held herself with elegant poise in front of guests. Well, most of them. _This guy can't be anyone good_. Kagura internally snarled as she walked over to sit beside Soyo.

As she strode by the guest, time grinded to a gritty halt. The past and present overlapped for one, brief second. As Kagura haughtily peered into the person's face, he had also glanced up towards hers.

Both of their eyes widened. Although it had been thirteen years, although they had grown older and weren't the same anymore…

Those softly burning eyes managed to lure Kagura once again.


	3. Chapter 2

A soft, afternoon breeze breathed into the room. Kagura shook her head, escaping from the lingering shadows of the past. The moment broke. They quickly looked away. Soyo looked at the two quizzically. "Um, Kagura-chan? Okita-san? Is… something the matter? Are you two acquaintances...?"

Kagura was tongue tied. _How do I explain…?_ Kagura's thought train was short circuiting and suddenly all of her thoughts were scattering. _What do I say, wait, how do I talk, crap, this is bad-_

"Nothing, Soyo-hime. I apologize for my… staring at your servant," Okita Sougo replied in a deadpan and cold voice as he inclined his head politely. He completely ignored Kagura.

"Wha- no, it's alright, it's alright! Come on, sit down Kagura-chan!" Soyo gave a curiously flustered and unnatural giggle as she pulled Kagura down next to her.

Okita gave a barely visible flinch as their eyes met when Kagura clumsily sat down. He averted his eyes instantaneously. Kagura felt an odd twinge in her heart. The feeling felt both foreign and familiar… and it bothered her.

"Ah, so…um, this is Kagura! Kagura-chan, this is Okita-san. Kagura-chan is not my servant, Okita-san! She is my personal, honorary guard as well as my best friend. Right, Kagura-chan?" Soyo said brightly, turning towards Kagura.

"U-um, yeah, yes, uh huh, yup," Kagura stuttered as she was suddenly jolted from her thoughts. The conversation trailed to an uncomfortable silence as Kagura desperately grasped for something to talk about. _Something, anything, weather? Weather? Sukonbu? No, weather, weather…_

"I… see. Is that so… Did it- oh sorry _she_ \- receive any speech education prior to this conversation or was she just born stupid?" Okita asked casually, focusing all of his attention on Soyo. The gap between what he said and his cool expression left Soyo speechless.

But Kagura was anything but speechless.

"Excuse me, what did you just say?! Repeat that again, just try it, and you won't even have a head to teach manners to!" yelled Kagura, leaping up from her seat and snapping out of her daze, maybe even some commonsense leaving too.

Soyo paled and tried to placate her hot-headed friend. "Kagura-chan! Now isn't the time for this…"

As Soyo tried to restrain Kagura, Okita remained seated and smug, eyes sparkling with amusement.

"Hey, you jerk! What-"

"Kagura-chan, stop being so rude!"

"But he, but he-"

"Can't control your pet, Soyo-hime? I'll gladly help you." He stood, snickering, and drew his twin _katana_. The swords of samurai. "Bring it on… China."

"Wait, no stop-!'

"Bring it, Sadist," Kagura hissed, the nickname sticking almost immediately, as she tore away from Soyo and swung her umbrella towards him.

Kagura's heartbeat thundered, and a dangerous smile danced across her face. Her cerulean eyes narrowed. Okita half-crouched, his two swords crossed. He stared her down calmly, a malicious smile sliding across his. They circled the table, eyes locked on each other. _Any second, any second now, he'll attack_. She tightening her grip on the umbrella. _Any second-_

"Stop right now and I might not kill you."

A gruff, unfamiliar voice growled into Kagura's ear. Her heart froze. Now it was fear, not adrenaline, coursing through her veins. An ice cold sword pressed against the side of her neck, nicking her skin. Kagura could smell the tang of something she had long forgotten from the sword.

 _Even though it's wiped clean, I can still smell it, I can still smell the blood_ , thought Kagura nervously. As she gulped, the sword dug deeper.

"Okay, good… Now drop the umbrella."

Her hands automatically gripped the umbrella harder, but she consciously, slowly, eased them. It dropped with a clatter. The person behind her kicked it out of reach. The sword slowly lifted. Kagura backed away and turned around.

A tall man with onyx black hair looked down at her. He had faintly blue-gray eyes, and a dirty cigarette was hanging from his mouth. The man lit the cigarette and huffed a sigh as he looked behind her.

Kagura followed his gaze. On the other end of the room, the Sadist was receiving the same treatment by an older man. He had russet hair and was burly and stocky. Okita sullenly twitched his hand as he lowered his swords.

"Hey, he gets to keep his weapons! Why did you make me drop mine?!" Kagura whirled around accusingly and glared at the raven haired man.

"Shut up little gir-"

"I am _not_ a little girl-"

"Then just shut up bi-"

"Don't you dare call me that," Kagura growled as she twisted, and a roundhouse kick met his face.

"Ow! That hurt dam-"

"Now, now, everyone, let's calm down. Toshii! Set an example and stop attacking little girls." The red-haired man clapped his hands for silence.  
"I am not a little girl for the last time! I'm already twenty!"

"That makes it sound like something else, Kondo-san!"

"Ka-Kagura-chan!"

Kagura's head snapped toward the familiar voice. Soyo peered from the hallway, clutching the slides. Kagura snatched her umbrella and ran out of the room.

"Soyo-chan, what's wrong? Are you alright?" Kagura's face was flushed. The mix of adrenaline and fear had made her feel more alive than ever.

Soyo wordlessly, shakily, stood there, trembling violently. Kagura heard the sliding doors rattling. She finally noticed that Soyo's face had long gone beyond pale and had began to turn a ghastly yellow.

Before Kagura could speak again, a pair of hands steered Soyo away. Kagura looked up in surprise. Then she hissed.

"What are you doing?! Take your hands off of her; can't you see she's-"

"Why can't you see?" Okita cut her off coldly. "See how pale she is. Have you already forgotten why she's like this? She was worried for you. You," he pointed at Kagura. "Aren't cut out to be her guard. Much less a _friend_. Not to mention you couldn't even tell that this was all a test."

"Huh? No-! Soyo-chan, this isn't... a test right?"

Soyo stared at the floor. She twisted the folds of her kimono.

Kagura's eyes widened.

Nodding, Okita turned and briskly guided Soyo back into her room.

"Wha- But he- But you- But..."

The red-haired man also came out to see Okita brush right past him with Soyo in his arms. He sighed and rubbed his stubble as he guessed what happened.

"That Sougo… he knows the best way to hurt people with words, but he's not a bad person at heart so please…"

His words trailed into silence as he saw that Kagura had long left.

~o~

Sploosh. The pebble sank into the small pond, crashing through the night sky's mirror. The brightest stars had already appeared in the zenith of the sky, but Kagura couldn't care less as she sat vacantly throwing rocks. Soyo's pained face branded itself into her mind and the conversation repeated on an agonizing replay, over and over. _She must have been so worried and terrified… And I didn't see a thing._

The Sadist's mocking words pierced her again. 'You aren't cut out to be her guard. Much less a friend.' Kagura gritted her teeth before slowly exhaling.

"But, but I still need to apologize for my actions," she muttered. Kagura heaved herself up and entered the castle again with a heavy heart.

Kagura padded before Soyo's room before freezing to a halt. Her heart dropped as she saw two outlines on the other side of the paper screens. Before she even realized what she was doing, Kagura stealthily dropped to a crouch and pressed her ear against the slide.

"...you, Soyo-hime…"

"Okita-sama…"

 _No, I, what am I doing, I need to leave, I shouldn't eavesdrop._ And yet, she couldn't move away.

"I, I love you, Okita-sama..."

"Soyo-hime…"

The whisper told her to run, run fast, run and pretend nothing had happened. Dizzily, Kagura stood up and staggered back.

"Oi, what are you doing here?"

Kagura flinched and whipped around. Smoke wisps circling him, it was Hijikata. His eyes glinted dangerously.

"I-I wanted to see… S…S..." She gestured helplessly towards the screen.

He shook his head. "Don't disturb them. It'd be impolite to interrupt."

Kagura's temper flared for a hot second. "I still need to apologize to her! And, I'm, I'm-"

"Sh! Be quie-"

"Kagura-chan?"

Kagura felt a cold shiver of dread. She shakily turned. Soyo was gawking at her.

"Hijikata-san?" The Sadist peered over from behind the princess, blinking. "What are you doing here?" Hijikata silently facepalmed in response.

Kagura stared, her mouth dry. "Soyo-chan, what, what are you doing with h-"

"Hijikata-san, you were supposed to make sure no one came into this hallway tonight," Soyo cut in.

"I apologize hime-sama. I will take her away immediately." Hijikata firmly placed both hands on Kagura's shoulders and began steering her away.

"Stop! Let go-! Soyo-chan, what are you doing with _him_?!"

Soyo's chestnut eyes twitched slightly. "Do you have any problem with me spending time with my betrothed?" she said icily.

"Betrothed? _Betrothed?_ What, what the hell are you talking about?!" _How could this, how could you, without telling me anything?_

"This ain't the past anymore. The Shogun needs military force, not political connection. And you should know, _Yato_ , that this is because of the Amanto invasion." Hijikata paused and relit his cigarette, the flicker just enough for Kagura's shock to be visible. " A closer binding between the Imperial family and the Shinsengumi is needed to combat them."

Hijikata heaved a heavy sigh and turned back to his prisoner. But Kagura was long gone.


	4. Chapter 3

Kagura yawned. _Good morning pond, seems we've become such good friends_ , she thought vacantly as she stared at the now-familiar garden pond. Kagura blinked and rubbed the deep bags beneath her eyes. _What am I saying, I've got not time for this, we're leaving for Kyoto today, I can't be talking to a pond._ She shook her head, the dew and the drowsiness scattering as weak rays of sunshine began filtering in.

Crouching low, Kagura whistled softly.

A muffled bark answered her. From beneath the castle, Sadaharu squeezed out between the stilts of the structure. He barked again, delighted at being called first thing in the morning. Kagura quickly hushed the enormous dog with a barely concealed smile. She swung onto Sadaharu's back, and they prowled to the back gate.

They found Soyo amidst weeping maids and nurses. A rickety, flimsy, and frankly dangerous, looking palanquin lay beside her. The Sadist stood on her other side. Kagura bit down an angry curse word or ninety and slid off from Sadaharu. Bitterness slowly eroded her planned apology into nothing but bare rust.

Shoving down the emotions, Kagura dropped into a kneel before Soyo. Soyo turned, blinking.

"Soyo-hime, I am truly sorry for my mediocre and inappropriate behavior yesterday. It will not repeat in your esteemed presence again."

"Ah, Kagura-chan! Why, you, you don't have to do this… formal…" Giving up on words, Soyo knelt and bent over to embrace Kagura when Kagura stiffened. It was so slight, no one would have been able to see it. But Soyo saw it. And she stopped. Her eyes clouded. She wordlessly stood up.

"It seems you haven't fully forgiven me though, Kagura-chan," Soyo breathed. "But I won't apologize for what I said, what I _did_ , yesterday. And if it's going to be like this, then perhaps we shouldn't be friends anymore."

A hand reached out and pulled Soyo back. Okita gingerly held Soyo's hand, barely even touching it.

Soyo smiled as she felt the gentle brush of his palm. "Okita-sama, there's no need to be so defensive. There is no one who can harm me when I have both you and… and the Shinsengumi." Her voice cracked at the end.

His crimson irises narrowed but he silently nodded, and they turned away.

Kagura stood. She watched them. They were amicably speaking now, all smiles and laughs. Some maids began nudging each other and discretely gestured towards the two. News was spreading fast, it seems.

 _The one standing by Soyo's side and smiling and laughing with her should be me, not, not..._ Her thoughts splintered the moment she heard them.

Disgusted, Kagura vehemently shook her head. _As long as Soyo-chan is happy, it doesn't matter_ who _they are, they must stay by her side. If I cannot be her happiness, then… then that's that._

 _...Not to mention she obviously trusts him more than me._

"Ah, Kagura-ch… Kagura-dono, are you feeling alright? You were shaking your head?" Soyo asked, politely concerned. Okita regarded Kagura with raised eyebrows.

"Oh no, I'm alright, thank you for your concern," Kagura said mechanically, lying straight through her teeth with a forced smile.

"Is… is that so. Well, I will be going in the palanquin now, so..." Her smile faltering, Soyo turned to Okita. "Uhm, well, I'll be seeing Okita-sama soon too, I guess…? Please be careful..."

A benevolent smile graced Okita's face. "I am overjoyed to receive your worry for someone such as myself, Soyo-hime. I am unworthy of it." He bowed low. Soyo blushed but she inclined her head in response.

As Soyo drew herself into the palanquin, four burly men with straw-hats melted away from the crowd. They took the handles of the palanquin and hoisted it on their shoulders with a grunt. Their dark-blue happi coats had the symbol of the Shogun, a hollyhock, imprinted on it.

"Oh, you're the fiery girl from yesterday!" The red-haired man heartily chuckled as he walked over, jostling Kagura from her slosh of emotions. The Sadist and the black-haired man stood beside him. Kagura narrowed her eyes.

"Haha, it was a rare sight to see Sougo so focused on a brawl like that!" he obliviously continued. "Oh, I forgot to introduce myself. I am Kondo Isao, the chief of the Shinsengumi. This here-" he nodded towards the raven-haired one. "is Hijikata Toushirou. He's the vice-captain of the Shinsengumi. Ha ha, I call him Toshii though right?" Hijikata pointedly looked in the opposite direction. "Oh, and I'm sure you know already, but this here's Okita Sougo, the commander of the first division." Isao ruffled Okita's hair with an impish grin. Okita's expression was back to the default poker face.

"... Is that so," Kagura replied coolly. _Don't screw this up, don't fight, don't fight, Kagura_. She bit her tongue from lashing up a storm.

A shadowed, evil smile surfaced, barely, like the pupils of a crocodile sliding through murky waters. Okita bowed cordially and smoothly said, "It will be a pleasure working with you, Kagura-dono. I'm sure you won't cause any… difficulties on our trip."

"Oh most certainly, Okita-dono. I am only a simple guard who attacks dangerous animals and criminals," Kagura said egily. "Especially to those people who are both, as you may know quite well Okita-dono."

"Hmm, perhaps that's why I think you should be careful you don't attack yourself Kagura-dono," he smirked as he followed his Commander and Vice-Commander out the gate.

… _Self-restraint is going to be difficult. Very, very difficult_.


	5. Chapter 4

A/N: Hello, this is meowmeow814! I'm taking a trip from until the end of July from this week so updates might be erratic… But I'll try to update weekly (and I'm going to try to make the chapters a bit longer). Also, I greatly apologize in advance for anachronisms (but this is Gintama… right?) and if the characters were/ are/ will be ooc and/or otherwise below expectations…

Thank you for reading "Following the Dawn"!

* * *

A wooden post pointing towards the Terminal snapped and clattered onto the road.

"One of these days it's not going to be a sign that's cut, Hijikata-san. Please be patient until then, Ok?"

"What the hell Sougo?!"

 _My thoughts exact._ For the umpteenth time that morning, Okita was attempting to kill Hijikata. Kagura sighed and rolled her eyes.

The group proceeded towards the Nihon bridge, the start of the Kiso road, with the other endpoint being the Sanjo bridge in Kyoto. As they "stalked" through the early streets, the bridge slowly materialized in the morning fog. Kagura shivered. The fish market-place had yet to open, and it was eerily quiet. The stone bridge seemed desolate and worn, wearier than an elder waiting to die. The olive-green river stank of fresh feces and rotting carcasses, not all of them fish.

"Wow, what a great start to our exciting escapade," Kagura muttered as they began crossing the bridge. Somewhere ahead of her, Okita was shoving Hijikata into the river. Needless to say, the enormous splash spelled his success.

Sadaharu scrunched his nose in agreement as Hijikata roared out of the river like a river demon. Except the banana peel perched atop his head made him look like a river demon with a sombrero.

Kagura paused. She strained her eyes as a dim light swayed toward them. It floated, drifting in and out of the haze, but gradually came closer and closer.

Kagura stiffened, but then she relaxed. _Stupid, the lantern has the characters for "police" written on it._ Kagura called out to Kondo, who was chiding Okita.

"Kondo-san, who is that person? Is it another police officer patrolling… " Kagura's words trailed off as Kondo stared and froze. He paled.

Kagura blinked. "What."

Kondo paused, then threw his head back and bellowed, "It's the Mimawarigumi! Ruuuuuuun!"

Kondo bolted across the bridge, the palanquin men scuttled after him, and Sadaharu bounded on their heels. _What the h- No, now isn't the time-_ Kagura took a step forward when a shadow dropped before her.

"Halt."

The fog parted. A woman with navy hair stood, lightless, sepia eyes pinning Kagura down. The paper lantern bounced in one hand. In the other was a rapier.

Kagura glared. She clenched her umbrella, and the woman narrowed her eyes. She carelessly threw her lantern into the river, eyes never once leaving Kagura.

Kagura growled. "Get out of-"

The police girl tore forward. Kagura swung her umbrella, and it slammed against the sword. They clashed with a screaming screech, neither side giving in. Kagura gritted her teeth. A faint smirk danced on the police girl's mouth as they stared at each other, close enough to practically breath each other's air. Kagura cursed as dim yells sounded behind her.

"So sorry, don't have time to deal with yo- " Kagura yelped as the sword suddenly slacked and she crashed forward. "OW, what-"

The police girl shrieked as a round thingamabobber arced in the air . "Donutdonutdonutdonutdonut!" She sprang into the air and caught it perfectly in her mouth. She crouched and began chewing it contentedly, eyes closed to relish the taste of… were those handcuffs?

Okita cautiously stepped back before he hissed at Kagura, who was still sitting there, dumbfounded. "Oi, what are you doing, let's get outa here!"

"What? I mean….no just what?"

He rolled his eyes and would have given her a scathing speech or fifty, but he caught the police girl lick her lips in dissatisfaction despite the initial euphoria.

 _Shit._ He snatched Kagura's wrist and jerked her up. Kagura's eyes snapped wide open before she swore (colorfully) as she tripped behind him, his long strides mismatched with her shorter ones

"... Wh... Why are we running from the police?" Kagura managed to say as they rushed away.

"That's the Mimawarigumi. They're different. They have… political agendas."

"But… the enemy, the Joui, are taking action now? When we've just left the castle?"

He snorted. "Don't be stupid. The Joui aren't the only enemy, there're plenty of folks using this Amanto chaos. And also… when're you gonna let go of my hand?"

Kagura opened her mouth to retort when she looked down. Her hand had slipped into his while they were running.

"Since whe-?! Ew!" She snatched away her hand as they stopped to catch their breath. And catch their bearings.  
Before they had realized it, the squashed Edo had loosened into neat houses. Gingko trees lined the street, and Kagura held out a hand as a couple heart-shaped leaves spiraled down. Where the trees and houses ended, the road continued through empty rice fields until it met distant, lapis peaks. Soft dawn began to breath pearl pink and shy beryl into the sky.

"We must still be in the suburbs of Edo… Maybe Kanda town…" Kagura thought aloud. She swallowed down the growing hysteria as she saw no sign of people. "I, I guess we'll have to continue down the road and we'll meet Kondo-san and the others."

Okita shrugged. He barely glanced at the town before yawning. "Well, we'll find them somewhere. Sometime. Later." He stretched and sighed. "Still dawn anyway. Missed my nap… Better find sometime for that… An' then eat. Yeah, that'd be good. Hey, can you cook or something? You're technically a woman, right? Go cook." He poked her cheek.

For a second, all Kagura could do was gape at him. Before she slapped him. And she made hell sure it hurt.

"You… Aren't you worried about Soyo-chan, you fucking heartless bastard?!" She grabbed the cuffs of Okita's hakama and shoved his face up to hers, eyes spitting flames. "And I am _not_ your servant," she hissed.

Something black flickered in the scarlet. He ripped Kagura's hands away."...What would you know about us?" Okita frigidly said. "You don't even know the first thing about your 'best friend'." He whipped around and strode down the road.

Kagura watched him walk away, struggling to keep shut the rattling lid to her emotions. _I'd give up anything, everything, for Soyo-hime and this… this_ bastard _… ordering me around like I'm...I'm his… his bitch._ She bit down, hard. Rust blood flowed freely from her lip.

~o~

She did not expect this when he had told her it would be a "nice countryside walk."

Soyo yelped as her cheek slapped against the cramped palanquin. Her already asleep thighs screamed as she slid to one side.

"Ow, ow, this hurts, ow, ow… Ack!" Soyo roughly tumbled out of the palanquin.

"I'm so sorry Soyo-hime, are you alright?" Kondo peered over with concern. Hijikata watched her sternly.

"I'm fine… but where are we? What happened?" Soyo asked as she brushed off her kimono. She looked up.

And her breath was stolen away.

Soyo stared out at the misty sea. Early fishing boats bravely bobbed and wobbled in the distance, and Soyo held up two fingers, squashing them. At the pier, prim-proper merchants and sun-tanned sailors were yelling, but she couldn't make out what over the splashing and sploshing, jostling water. Cargo was shoved into towering stacks, and swarthy nets were hauled aboard. A clean breeze combed through her hair, the brine of the sea sweeping over her.

Kondo grinned at her reaction. "Well, it seems like you will enjoy the boat ride to Kyoto, Soyo-hime!"

Soyo started. She blinked out of her trance. "Eh? But Kondo-san… what about the land pass?"

His smile slipped away. "Your highness… we were attacked by the Mimawarigumi back there. If we're already being targeted so soon after leaving the castle… " He gave her a pointed look.

Soyo shivered, and it wasn't from the sea-wind. "But that would mean Kondo-san… That would mean..."

He nodded. "Infiltrator."

* * *

A/N: Additional note - I'm awfully sorry if Okita and Soyo (but especially Okita) are looking like, frankly, bitchy characters. That's my aim right now, anyway, but I'm still sorry if I'm butchering them… I _will_ redeem/ develop them though so they won't stay like this forever! Also, would it be a good idea if I start recommending songs to listen while reading a certain chapter? I think I might start that since it seems interesting~

Thank you for reading this chapter!

~meowmeow814


	6. Chapter 5

A/N: Hello! I would like to thank Pure Red Crane for beta reading this chapter! Thank youuuu!

And also, thank you for reading this chapter!

~meowmeow814

* * *

"I knew we should have stopped at Itabashi town for the night. Maybe if you were a bit more competent and you actually _listened_ to me-!"

"Too late now, we've already crossed the Arakawa river border. And it's not that bad to camp outdoors, is it? Especially for a wild pig like you."

"Oh shut up, countryside sadist! You know you _love_ sleeping with insects crawling in your hair!"  
"As if anyone would want to sleep with you. Oh wait, you were a pig. Sorry."

"You li-!"

"Wait, what's that in the distance?"

Kagura paused and squinted irritably to where Okita was pointing. A blur of lights and dark outlines of huts flickered in the distance, a feeble light amidst the flat, endless rice fields. Only Edo, a bare pinprick of light behind them, and the mountains, a chain of juts in the horizon, changed the dull scenery. The crescent moon wandered in and out of the billowing, thick, clouds. Kagura closed her eyes, sifting through her memory.

"That… would be Omiya. A post town." _Thank god I looked over those maps._ She blinked, her normally cerulean eyes several shades darker. "There should be some cheap inns at the edge of the town." Okita grudgingly nodded.

They trudged down the road, and it wasn't long until they reached Omiya. Inns crowded its streets, and the glitzy nightlife thrived, transforming a dusty town into a racy red-light district. Drunk cheering roared as several brawls spilled into the streets. Sour body odor plastered every person, making Kagura cringe and hold her breath as they shoved through the crowd. Burgundy lantern lights swayed nauseously, causing shadows to lurch and the ground to roll like waves. Courtesans giggled and tipsily teetered along the shadows. Kagura rolled her eyes as several whistled to Okita.

Finally, they reached a shabby inn at the end of the town. It seemed more like an overrated shed, but it was good enough. Okita wearily slid open the slide.

"... What are you doing out there?" Okita called out exasperatedly to Kagura, who fidgeted outside.

"I… I can't. I'll stay here."

"Oi, stop joking around. Who was the one making fun of insects in hair?"

"It's fine, they don't bother me much." The words spilled out, but Kagura was too tired to slumped down and folded her knees up to her chest. "It's okay," she repeated, turning away. "I'm used to it, alright? You go inside. G'night."

Okita opened his mouth to say something more, but instead, he snapped it shut and disappeared without another word. Kagura waited another second before releasing a sigh. She tugged her hair, the familiar bitterness welling up again. _I can't go in… I'm obviously an Amanto, or a foreigner at least. I was never brought to Earth to mingle with humans; the only one I could talk to was Soyo-hime anyway._

Bitter tears pricked Kagura's eyes. She gnawed her lip. A courtesan with a male companion peered over and then sneered at Kagura as they strolled by, blatantly making a wide arc around her. Kagura stared at them, eyes smoldering into their backs long after they've forgotten her. _This is why I hate humans; arrogant little… and a prime example'd be the Sadist._

Kagura snarled at the mere thought of him. She dug her nails into the dirt road, scoring deep gorges in them. _I hate him, I hate him, I hate him, I_ hate _him! Cocky bastard, what did the he mean by Soyo-hime not seeing me as her friend? How dare he?!_

She growled. _As if I'd let years of friendship and trust be eroded by some stranger's words. I don't care who he is or… or what Soyo-hime's d… done with him; I won't believe him until she tells me so._

Drained from her rant, Kagura's eyelids fluttered shut. She curled into a tighter ball and wrapped her arms around herself. Just when she felt herself fading into sleep, a chill slithered up her spine. Kagura's eyes snapped open. She clutched her umbrella closer as she staggered to her feet. Her eyes flicked up and down the street but there was nothing, no one, to see. All seemed calm.

But suddenly, a slice of wind screamed, slashing her cheek. Kagura froze, heartbeat thundering in her ears. She brushed her cheek with a shaking hand. A red smear painted it.

 _..._

In one move, Kagura whirled toward the inn. She snapped open her umbrella as a shower of shuriken exploded down. Kagura spun her umbrella and they hurtled back, shredding the roof of the inn. Sawdust drifted into the street. Pedestrians screamed.

Kagura glanced up. She squinted, but a wave of nausea and dizziness slammed into her. She gasped. Everything lurched, and Omiya began to sway and slide. Her umbrella clattered to the ground. Too late, Kagura smelled the exquisite cloy of poison before she crashed to the ground.

~o~

Okita dragged his feet into the inn. A maid met him.

"Hello and welcome to Inn Otose. I am Tama an-"

"Yeah, yeah, could you just show me to an empty room," Okita cut in. The maid blinked but slowly nodded.

They climbed the stairs, each step taking its sweet time in groaning out one, long, creak. At the end of the dusty corridor, Tama opened a room.

"Feel free to take the best room."

It was the plainest room he had ever seen. There was just one latticed window, and cobwebs laced its corners. _But I'm not complaining_ , Okita thought as he threw down his swords and peered out. Her job done, Tama creaked back downstairs.

Next to the street, China was curled into a ball. Her shoulders shook. Okita sighed in exasperation and shook his head. _And this is why I can't handle people… especially women._ His eyes snapped back to attention when he caught a glint on the opposing roof. He squinted. _What the hell?_

He choked as a shuriken spun towards the Yato, followed by a stampede more from the inn's roof. He flinched and dodged several shurikens that shot back and cleanly sliced his window. The dust began filtering through the ceiling and the roof started whining and the innkeepers were screaming downstairs, but he kept moving farther and farther into himself.

Somewhere, he was coughing and waving away the debris before continuing to watch below. He distantly watched a female ninja leap down and dragged away the body.

Okita dizzily stepped back, the world leeching away. _Well, it's been awhile since this weird feeling happened,_ he mused vacantly. _When was the last time…_

' _You can't, you have to watch her! I can't but you can!' She had glared furiously at him. 'And if you don't… I will destroy your family.'_

' _I have no family.'_

' _Oh but you do. And don't think… I won't destroy it if you let her get hurt, Okita-sama.' He had turned away as hot tears welled. But she never let them fall and he knew that the swear was true._

Okita shook his head. He took a deep breath and sighed. The ninja was long gone, and the screaming dimmed to a concerned murmur. "Wow, it's so quiet, that hasn't happened in a while." He rolled onto the floor and closed his eyes. "Good… time for a nap."

Yet as Okita ran through several schemes on killing Hijikata, his thoughts kept splintering apart and he couldn't focus on counting Hijikata corpses. This was a first for him. To his disgust.

Okita swore as he stood up. He grabbed his swords and leapt out the broken window.

~o~

Hijikata stared out into the sea, tufts of raven hair ruffling. He shoved his hands into his pockets. "Maybe it was a good thing that we were ambushed so near Edo. We have easy access to lots of ships here so there's bound to be one that we can use." He lit his cigarette and puffed out a sigh. "Doesn't change the fact that we've gotta move faste-"

"Wait, but, what about Kagura-chan? And Okita-sama? They're not… they're not here," Soyo interrupted. She spun around, half expecting to see the two bickering/ trying to kill each other. But they weren't there.

Soyo's heart froze into chips of ice as Hijikata slowly turned towards her, expressionless. He stared calmly, blatantly. Soyo's eyes widened in horror. _No… no, no, no, th- they..._ She shook her head, a strangled laugh parting her lips. "Hi-Hijikata-san, where are they? I mean… This… isn't true, haha, no, not like that, not like _this_ , no." Soyo looked up, eyes bright, pleading. "Wait, no. No, no, no…"

"Wait, Hime-sama calm down!" Kondo frantically waved his hands, exacerbating the situation. "It's, it's-"

Her voice snapped to a fever shrill. "They're not dead, they can't be _dead_ , I- They're-"

"They aren't dead!" Hijikata gripped and shook the princess violently. "They aren't dead," he fiercely repeated, blue-gray glaring into the amber. Soyo tried to gulp down the knot in her throat and speak but just air whispered. Hijikata shook her again, gentler this time.

"They are _not_ dead and they _will_ meet us in Kyoto. Do. You. Hear. Me."

Soyo silently nodded, and Hijikata let her go. With one more glance back, he and Kondo began walking down the pier. Soyo trailed after them when she paused. "W...Wait, Kondo-san, Hijikata-san," she whispered. They turned back.

Fixing a smile, she approached the motionless palanquin men still standing by their palanquin. "Sirs, I… I thank you for your service. I apologize for the danger. Although this isn't much…" Soyo reached into the palanquin and handed each a handful of gold coins.

"Thank you. I hope for the best." Soyo turned away when she heard a mumble. Soyo blinked and turned back, drawing closer. "Excuse me? I'm sorry, I couldn't hear you."

"Oh we will."

 _Wha-? Mgmf!_ Soyo's yelp was muffled by a rough hand. Another man slashed forward with a knife, and Kondo spat frothy blood. He doubled over, clutching his stomach.

"Kondo-san! Hime-sama!" Hijikata rushed forward but his sword clashed with the third man's sword, sparks scattering.

Soyo crunched down on the hand and her capturer yowled, releasing her. Soyo swung back, free, eyes blazing. " _You're_ the spies-!"

But she had forgotten about the fourth man. They all had.

Soyo gasped before her vision snapped black.

~o~

"So, whatdya say?"

"... I… " The hunger gleamed like a blade spinning beneath the moon.

"You know you'll never accomplish what you want to do, only what you _need_ to. And what's the fun in that? You could do so much more," the other man purred.

He gulped raggedly, longing tearing out of his heart, shrieking banshees crying for sweet, sweet revenge.

But he shook his head. "I… I can't, I _can't_ , they're all I have!"

"Then get more. Snatch. Rob. Kill. They don't have to be all you have." The man waited but no response answered. He sighed. "… I'll be waiting but only for a bit longer." The parchment fluttered onto the deck. "You don't have long."


	7. Chapter 6

A/N: Hello! Aaaah, it's been so long… but I am (physically) back! (minus the jetlag) Thank you for reading this chapter, and I'm so sorry this update has been so late. And of course, special thanks to Pure Red Crane for beta reading. :)

* * *

Her eyes cracked open. Kagura groggily stared at the shurikens in front of her eyes, each meticulously sharpened. It was dark, and what moonlight trickling in from above flashed on the edges of the weapons. Her cheek rested on frayed pieces of hay strewn over a wooden floor.

"Oh look, she's awake. Took long enough." A voice, sweeter than dripping honey, said somewhere above Kagura.

Kagura's senses gradually returned as a constant _sheeen_ sound mind numbingly repeated in her ears. Rough, hairy ropes were thrung in her mouth and more scrubbed her wrists raw. The musk of horse and mold caused Kagura to wrinkle her nose. _A stable_ , Kagura realized distantly.

"Hmm, yeah. What are we going to do now?" A lower voice answered. "We've already wasted a couple hours here already. Sun's gonna rise soon."

"Don't ask me, you were the one who saved her, Zenzou."

The ninja sighed. "Saruto-"

"It's _Sa-chan_ , hemorrhoid."

"Fine fine, whatever. But Shigeshige-sama just said to save the red-head. Now what. Do we throw her out into the streets or something?" Kagura felt a chill at the both casual and resigned tone.

The sharpening stopped, the silence deafeningly loud.

"Zenzou, you're..."

"Well what do you suggest then."

After a thoughtful pause, the sharpening started once again.

"... We should sell this girl as a courtesan. Think how much an exotic girl like her could make. We could sell her at the town a bit further down the road from here."

Kagura gave a choked muffle. Spittle ran down her chin.

After a tense silence, Zenzou finally muttered, "I didn't think you'd go that low. Since when was money that important to you anyway."

A snort replied. "Zenzou, we've already hit rock bottom. Our _job_ is to hush people who need to be hushed. People with families. Friends. It doesn't get dirtier than that. And," Sa-chan added, "I don't care about the money, just saying that our little prisoner could make it big."

Soft footsteps, lighter than a stalking cat, was all that indicated Zenzou's leave.

Kagura managed to wriggle up to her knees. Frigid, steel eyes met her from behind glinting, red-rimmed glasses.

"You better be grateful, wretch. If it wasn't for Zenzou, I'd have slit your throat faster than you could say 'help'."

Kagura glared back. The other woman sneered, her entire countenance practically brimming with poison, danger, and sadism. She grabbed Kagura's chin, polished nails digging into the pale cheeks. She turned Kagura's face left and right before nodding. "Hmm, you really will make good profit. My eyes don't lie. Maybe one of those more _feisty_ girls perhaps?"

She chuckled as Kagura shuddered. Sa-chan began petting Kagura's head with one hand as she placed her shuriken inside a pouch with the other. Kagura cringed, humiliation and helplessness raging within her before fading into a gray nothing.

After the last shuriken fell in place with a cling, Sa-chan sighed. She took her hand off Kagura's head and ran it once through her own lavender strands. Kagura had to strain her ears to hear Sa-chan murmur, "Zenzou doesn't understand a thing. So what if society looks down on you. So what if you have to sell your body. You survive. You become strong. Women aren't like men; we've gotta do all we can to live in this screwed world." She stared off into nothing, but Kagura thought she saw a glimmer of remorse and memory as Sa-chan mumbled, "We need to fight for every grain, every home, every _thing_ we own."

Kagura blinked, but before she could process the shadow of emotion, she was jerked to her feet. Kagura gagged as the breath was punched out of her.

Sa-chan brushed off her hands, and the toothy smile was back. "Come now, we must go to Okabe town for your new life."

~o~

Okita slid off the tiled roof.

He dashed through the splattering rain, the raindrops coming down harder, harsher, meaner. The inns had all shut for the night and not a soul stirred, the only sound being the clattering rain on the roofs and his slapping feet. A rough buffet of wind whipped his hair.

As he neared the edge of town and the huts began to fade into ricefields, a lonely wooden board stood, unmoving amidst the now shrieking storm. A lopsided poster remained flapping on it, its ink beginning to blur like a crying courtesan. Okita paused.

"One million yen... capture and kill...u...ss...Yato...Very...caution…" All that remained of the profile was a blotchy smudge.

 _Yato…_ Unpleasant memories began surfacing before he squashed them down.

Okita shook off the water caught in his hair and peered out into the fields. Patches of puddles spotted the now muddy dirt road, and the storm clouds, darker than the night sky, growled thunder. Okita narrowed his eyes as a pair of footsteps clearly ran along the road, going farther along the path and into a dark forest ahead.

 _They couldn't have gone that far, I can still catch-_ A chill crawled up his back. Okita grabbed the slippery hilts of his swords. His shoulders tensed, and his eyes flashed, darting left and right across the paddies before settling on the board. He took a sharp intake of air as his eyes widened.

Okita took a steadier breath, adrenaline rushing through his body. He cleared his throat, but his voice still caught.

"W...why are you here."

A flickering shadow materialized behind the board. The slick sword, blacker than the moon's shadow, gleamed in the rain.

"Oh you know why I'm here, Okita Sougo." The voice was lower than Okita remembered it, but of course, everyone's voice is pitched higher when screaming in agony.

"... I don't have time to deal with you," Okita growled and took a step forward when the sword shot to his neck. A harsh clang rang as Okita barely countered it.

"I think you have enough to time to die," Shinpachi coolly said, and Okita was unable to tell what his expression was behind those glasses.


	8. Chapter 7

A/N: Ehehe, here is the 7th chapter! I would recommend listening to One OK Rock's "Re:make" to this… of course this is optional. :) Thank you for reading! (Also I think I'm going to respond to reviews from the previous chapter in the following chapter up here under a/n~ Thank you for all of the lovely reviews!) Finally, thank you to Pure Red Crane for beta-ing!

Rinfantasy: hehehe, but Shinpachi really does deserve more love, in all honesty

Eizleina Kyotarin: That is true, but I think I will try to respect anyone and everyone's career, however it may seem to me… But that's just my opinion, haha. Huehuehue, and _that_ is a major part of the plot that I shall'nt reveal. Yet. Thank you!

CycloneJetCannon: You're welcome! Wow, I'm so glad you like it! I was worried that the ambush sounded rushed or strange, but that's reassuring to hear. Hopefully, the action can start around this chapter, kekeke (... hopefully I didn't write it too badly… *sweats profusely*). Haha, Shinpachi's a great character to write about, unexpectedly. Thanks, I am currently running on 2 hours of sleep~

~meowmeow814

* * *

Lackluster bronze eyes stared from beneath the inky hair. Shinpachi ripped his sword away and took a couple steps back, but his eyes didn't waver.

Okita steadily met Shinpachi's glare. "And I'm telling you, I'm _busy_."

"Someone like you? Being busy probably just means killing more innocent people."

Shinpachi lunged forward. The metals clashed against each other and the swords rattled, skidding and sliding against each other. Shinpachi bashed down harder and harder, smashing sword against sword. Okita crossed his, gritting his teeth. His arms began to sear and scream from their combined weight and the heavy slams. Chips and sparks flew, and an ember burned among the blur of metals before it was doused by the rain.

Slice. One arm scarred. Slash. The other gutted. Cut, cut, cut, and now Okita's sword hand was nicked all over. But none of the wounds were too deep, only just enough for the trickling blood to be a blossom pink rather than a flaming red. Shinpachi's eyes glowed brighter as more blood splattered across his sword, the rain unable to wash it fast enough there.

Okita cursed as he skidded on the mud and fell to his knees. Shinpachi's sword was instantly at his neck. Okita winced as the sword began biting down, thirstily reveling in the well it found there. He distantly felt a rare emotion despite his exhaustion-induced daze.

 _This must be what satisfaction is. Or rather, a sad attempt at atonement._

Okita jolted out of his thoughts as the sword jerked down deeper. He hissed, and Shinpachi gave a tight smile. "Didn't know you were this weak, to be honest. But I'll make sure you hold out for the entire world of pain." His expression darkened. "Though you deserve worse. _Much_ worse," he spat, "For all you-"

Clang! The black sword spun out of Shinpachi's grip as another sword shot out of nowhere. Okita's eyes snapped open.

"K… Kyuubei-san?" Shinpachi asked, blinking in surprise. "Why are you here...? You said you'd be resting-"

"Shinpachi, what are you doing?" A woman stepped forward between Shinpachi and Okita. Rain streamed down the slick, short black hair in rivulets, and maybe she could have been called beautiful if it wasn't for her steely eyes. They stared scathingly at Shinpachi. "I never would've thought you enjoyed bloodbaths, when Otae-chan is so noble." She narrowed her eyes. "But you haven't answered my question. What are you doing?"

A strange expression flitted across Shinpachi's eyes before disappearing, though only Okita seemed to catch it. Shinpachi lowered his eyes and muttered, "Nothing, Kyuubei-san."

She stepped forward, the cold eyes blazing into blizzards. "Don't you dare lie to me. This obviously isn't _nothing_ , you're attacking a harmless stranger!"

Shinpachi bit his lips. He managed to growl through clenched teeth, "It has nothing to do with Kyuubei-san so could you please just leave me alon-"

Lightning flash, a rapier was jabbing Shinpachi's neck. Shinpachi flinched, and the point grazed his neck. Kyuubei said softly, "Shinpachi, while Otae-chan is sick, you are under my care. I cannot let her brother be hurt… or bring her dishonor. Now _talk_."

Shinpachi turned away. He picked his sword off the mud before painstakingly slowly, sheathing it. At last he mumbled, "That… man was… stealing… food… I got carried away… didn't, didn't mean to kill. See, he's, he's not hurt _that_ badly."

Kyuubei's eyes swiveled to observe Okita's mud-splattered hakama and criss-cross wounds and half-lidded eyes. She raised an eyebrow and stared for a moment longer before she heaved a heavy sigh.

"... Fine." The sword was sheathed with a sharp click. "But we're going to treat him and take him with us."

"What?!" Shinpachi spun towards Kyuubei incredulously. "Er, uh, I-I mean," he stuttered as Kyuubei stared at him. "He's, well, a criminal-"

"That you practically sent halfway to hell. Who looks more like a criminal here," Kyuubei countered. "Not to mention, he obviously can fight."

Shinpachi blinked. "But, he's... I could've easily..."

"Shinpachi." Kyuubei cut in. She regarded him with something between exasperation and maybe even contempt. "You really couldn't sense that he wasn't trying?"

"What?"

"He _let_ you hurt him. Right?" Kyuubei said, without bothering to look at Okita. "You're barely hurt, Shinpachi, and this man has white scars running up and down his arms. You don't go through life getting scars without inflicting just as many."

Shinpachi said nothing, his expression hidden in the rain again.

Kyuubei paused. "I don't know who you attacked nor why, but this man can probably help us. At this point, I don't care who it is; if they're strong, then they _will_ help us get the elixir for Otae-chan. Or are you saying you wouldn't put down everything for your sister?"

Shinpachi gritted his teeth. Tension crackled in the air as Shinpachi gripped his sword, fist ghost-white, and Kyuubei observed him warily, fingers grazing her own sword's hilt. But finally, Shinpachi whipped around and wordlessly began trudging down the road.

Kyuubei watched him go before she turned back to Okita with a calculating eye. She grabbed a couple bandage rolls from a satchel at her waist, slapped on some pungent ointment, and stuck them onto Okita's arms and hands. Without waiting for them to dry, Kyuubei jerked Okita onto his feet. He staggered forward but managed to steady himself.

Okita clumsily sheathed the two swords with a squelch when an iron hand gripped his arm.

"You still owe me." Kyuubei said flatly. "You still owe me for … 'saving' you, though you could've probably defeated Shinpachi."

Okita stiffened. "How...?"

She shrugged. "It's easy and it's just how I said to Shinpachi; you have scars-"

"No." He shook his head. "I meant how do you know that I'll help you?"

"That's also easy," Kyuubei said. Her eyes bored into his. "Because I can kill you anytime."

A faint smirk managed to light Okita's expression. "That so." He flexed his hand gingerly and winced. "But, regardless of you trying to kill me, I really do need to go to the next post-town, Okabe. Not to mention I don't know your name...?"

Kyuubei gave a translucent smile of her own and let of of his arm. "Yagyuu Kyuubei. Shinpachi," she nodded to the dark figure ahead, "and I were heading to Okabe anyway. I'm assuming you're heading for Kyoto if you're on this road?" Okita nodded. "Good. Your name?"

"O… Okita Sougo." If she recognized the name, Kyuubei didn't show it. "Well, I am glad that our goals are common," she said before adding, "It will make for good cooperation."

Okita didn't miss the dangerous glint in her eyes at the word 'cooperation'.

 _Just the way I like it._

"Indeed," he agreed.

~o~

"Welcome. We hope you enjoy your time here tonight in Okabe."

Kagura bowed on her knees in front of the guests, the cool summer breeze slipping between the slides and sweeping back her hair. She winced as the bruises on her knees throbbed. _No breaking cups. No talking unnecessarily. And absolutely no being pretty_ , she repeated dully, the last punishment replaying over and over, her own scream echoing in her ears long after the ordeal, and-

"Are… are you alright?"

Kagura snapped out of her thoughts and stared up. _No one asks that to courtesans…_

Standing above her was a tall man with glasses and pitch-black hair. He held out a hand uncertainly, but Kagura shrunk away, shaking her head violently. She stumbled to her feet and clutched the porcelain tray to her chest.

"Oi what are you doing here, I need to find my traveling companion and we have no time-"

Okita stared at Kagura through the slides from outside, words stuck in his throat. She stared back, her jaw slowly dropping.

"Chi...China?" Okita whispered. Despite the frayed edges and heavy crinkles, the lacquer-black kimono with alabaster cranes and dawn-pink lotuses was stunning. It shimmered around her like a river of ink as Kagura uncomfortably shifted, the kimono constantly sliding down to reveal her creamy-white shoulders. And Okita knew he wasn't the only one staring from the blatantly obvious eyes farther in the shop and also from outside. The black haired man narrowed his eyes at the two, bronze irises hardening.

"Hello boys, are you here for some fun tonight?" Okita dragged his eyes off Kagura and peered behind her. Two courtesans were smiling coyly at him and Shinpachi. They looked practically identical, from their ghost white make-up, blood red lips, and tar black eye shadow. The only difference was that one wore a pink kimono and the other a blue one.

"Oh yes, forget _her_ , she's just a serving girl, come play with us," the blue one chimed in. She fanned herself luxuriously, the gold-plated fan flashing. A strong sense of dislike welled in Okita's gut.

"No, we'll be ordering her," Okita said, pointing straight at Kagura. "We don't have much money; just a… serving girl will do." He stepped forward.

 _No!_

Kagura threw down her porcelain plate. It smashed to the ground, and the bustling inn abruptly stopped its chatter. Okita froze, and Shinpachi stared wide-eyed.

Not a second passed before the pink courtesan gave a tight smile and said, "I'm sorry, she'll be having difficulty with that today, you'll just have to order some other girls. Excuse us for a bit, we'll be back soon." Kagura hunched over as the two courtesans shoved her through a small slide to the right and followed her out. Another two shallow courtesans took their place, giggling as they guided Okita and Shinpachi to their seats in the back. The inn gradually returned to its usual cacophony.

Minutes ticked by but Kagura didn't return. As much as he hated to admit it… Okita was worried. The alcohol was flowing but so far, he had managed to fool the courtesans into believing he drank it. They tipped some more into the cup and he casually spilled it onto the floor as he swiftly grabbed it and held it to his lips.

Shinpachi awkwardly declined, flustered and unused to this type of attention. Okita would've found it hilarious were they not in a hurry. Okita slammed down the cup and loudly belched. He flopped over. "Maaan, I am _so_ drunk right now," he said, shooting Shinpachi a glance. Shinpachi looked at him with something between confusion and irritation when one of the courtesans eagerly stood up.

She chittered, "Oh, there's a private room we c-"

"Oh no," Okita cut in. "I really feel like vomiting, oi, uh, what's it, Patsuan? You mind guiding me out?" The courtesan gave a strangled laugh and backed off immediately.

Shinpachi caught wind of things and cleared his throat. "Yes of course, can't have you vomiting in here, let's move out... " He slapped down some coins and dragged Okita away from their table. The two courtesans hesitated before they shrugged and collected their money.

In the crowd, no one noticed the two samurai slipping in through the small slide off to the side. They entered a shadowed hallway, only lit by a couple lamps here and there, the fading candles casting far longer shadows. Shinpachi made a gagging sound as he heard moans and creaks upstairs and to both sides. Luckily, there was only one room down the end of the hallway.

Okita and Shinpachi stalked forward, apprehension spiking up their spines as not a single sound was heard from that slide. When they were only a couple feet away, Okita squinted at the sign hanging there.

"...'Kitchen'?"


	9. Chapter 8

A/N: Hello! Warning: the first part to this chapter is kinda graphic, viewer discretion is advised (I'm sorry, I'm not usually this gruesome I swear!). This chapter kinda ended up a weird contrast between violence and fluff, like what? Haha, guess it's just fanfic and me.

Thank you for reading this!

Lee. Kagura: Ehehee, thank you. :)

And again, thank you to Pure Red Crane for always looking over my chapters!  
~meowmeow814

* * *

"'Kitchen'?" Okita murmured. He had to reread it to make sure. "But… why?"

"M...maybe they're just… making her wash dishes or something?" Shinpachi offered, but the shakiness in his voice bleed his doubt.

Okita tried taking a deep breath, but it came out as a shallow gasp. He placed a clammy hand on the slide and slid it open.

He nearly passed out when the cramped room spilled its secrets.

The first thing he noticed was the red. Everywhere. Across the floor, plastered on the walls, dripping on the plates, nothing escaped its hue. The second thing he noticed was the smell. It smelled like someone had mauled a herd of deers and set them out in the summer sun, swamping the room with the warm draft of mold and crust. The third thing he noticed was the sound. Tickling laughter rang through the room, bouncing off the walls.

And the fourth thing he noticed… was her.

Kagura lay sprawled in the center of the room, a towel shoved in her mouth. Her eyes were half-shut and the cerulean eyes, once filled with light, were now as cloudy as the dead's. Her kimono was strewn across the floor in disarray with flecks of blood splattering it. But worst of all… worst of all was her skin. Scars and whip marks were gorged across her upper arms and legs in a lurid rainbow.

Shinpachi gaped in horror. "This… this is…" he choked.

Okita was instantly at her side. He wasn't sure whether he should have felt relief that most of the red was already dried. Only her shallow breathing indicated that she was alive. "Oi, China, China, answer me!"

"And this is why you should've waited for us," the two courtesans sang as they slid shut the door. Shinpachi felt a chill as their human guise melted into fur, red tinged with an unnatural, ghastly green. He mumbled, "You two are… foxes… demons."

"Oh please," one of them sneered. "Don't put us together with those pieces of trash. We're Amanto and part of the Harusame, like all the other workers here. Although we do enjoy killing humans like them. Except this one needed a little lesson, didn't she sister? Like all the other little birdies who winded up in this room," she leered, turning to the other.

"Oh yes, such is the punishment for flirting," the sister giggled. "A useless pig shouldn't pretend like she's actually worth something. Though maybe we shouldn't have tried so hard?" They shrieked together, a harsh laugh more like insane screeching.

Okita stood. Kagura's blood dripped from his clothes as he drew his swords. He tipped his head towards Shinpachi. "I won't ask for your help here but at least… Take her and leave." He didn't wait for Shinpachi's reply before he tore forward.

The laughs switched to squeals as the two frantically threw up their arms before he sliced through them. They exploded into gray-brown dust. Okita flicked his swords off in disgust. _They didn't deserve such a quick death…._ He turned towards the exit. _But now for the rest._

Shinpachi watched him with an unreadable expression before he knelt down. He gently gathered Kagura in his arms, drew his sword, and sliced the window above the sink. He leapt out of the restaurant, Okita slashing it apart after him.

~o~

 _"Kagura-chan, don't look back. Don't let go of my hand."_

 _"Okay Nii-chan… But… will we ever return?"_

 _"I don't know," he murmured and gently brushed away strands of her hair. "I don't know…"_

 _"But why? Why do we need to go to Earth?"_

 _"Kagura-chan," he said sternly, his blue eyes catching her blue eyes. "We have nothing here but danger. We'll get… that disease if we stay. We need to leave."_

 _Kagura paused before bobbing her small head, the sunshine yellow buns moving up and down. "If you say so, Nii-chan."_

 _Somewhere, in some hazy part of her memory, they snuck onto an enormous ship. They hid in the lowest storage, next to mountain-like gears grinding away as the ship flew through space. But she was okay. She was in the lap of her Onii-chan so she would be okay. Even if Mami was dead, even if Papi was gone, Onii-chan would always be there so she would be okay…_

 _But then her memory shifted and she was someplace else. A cramped room with no light, no water, no food. A man was yelling and the smell of alcohol spiraled in the air and then grubby hands were grabbing her cheeks._

 _"You will do for now," he hissed but then that voice began blending in with two female voices and then they poured a liquid down her throat. Something snapped, and then-_

 _But then it stopped. It all stopped._

 _The world stopped spinning and everything became white, blank. Kagura held her breath, afraid that any movement would it tear apart. Cautious but soft, a bizarre warmth enveloped her. It took her a moment for Kagura to realize that it was a pair of arms that held her, the first time since the last time she saw Kamui. It was warmer than golden sunlight pooling between trees..._

"-alright? Are you alright?"

Kagura blinked. She was in some house, and her futon sheets were twisted around her like wrung laundry. She stared up, and her eyes widened in recognition.

"Y… you're the one who… held out your hand…"

Shinpachi nodded. "You were mumbling and tossing in your sleep, so I figured I should wake you." He paused. "I apologize if I did something unnecessary. It's still quite late."

"Ah, no, i-it's alright. Thank you." Still half groggy, Kagura sat up. Someone had changed her into a beige yukata, but the coarse fabric scratched her wounds. She winced in pain.

"Does it still hurt… ?" Shinpachi scrutinized her, and she warily watched him. In any other moment, she'd have punched the living daylight out of a man staring at her like that when she was dressed in her night garbs, but at the moment she could've only punched the living daylight out of herself anyway. _Or rather, poked the living daylight,_ Kagura thought as a bout of dizziness took hold of her for a couple seconds.

He facepalmed and she jolted. "But of course it would still hurt, god I'm such an idiot, I'll get some medicine right now." He scrambled to his feet when Kagura grabbed the bottom of his black uniform.

"No! I mean, er, I mean, I'm fine."

"But you're still hurt…" Shinpachi said doubtfully.

"Well, it's not that bad! Really! I don't want to cause anyone any trouble." _Not to mention I don't know who you are or what you might do._

Shinpachi reluctantly relented, and folded himself back down. He took off his glasses and wiped them with a sleeve wearily. She hadn't noticed it before, but the bags under his eyes were like black bruises to his rather good lo-

 _Woah, stop right there,_ Kagura thought and she mentally shook her head. _Sleep, have to sleep, this is why sleep deprivation is bad, yes? And he's not even_ that _good looking, he looks like a Patsuan kind of guy, no, never trust a Patsuan kinda guy, yes-_

"Um, are you sure you don't need this medicine?" he said cautiously, pushing in front of her a pile of herbs.

"No, I'm- Wait, when did you get that?" Kagura said, staring at the fresh stalks.

He shrugged. "Outside. Don't worry, I washed them."

"But- I was just talking to-" Kagura's jaw dropped. "I-I-I mean, uh, thanks," she said hurriedly as he hunched his shoulders and looked away.

 _Well, maybe he_ is _some certified herbalist or… something._ "Uh, then, I guess I'll have some medicine then?" Kagura took a stalk with feathery leaves and was about to place it in her mouth when Shinpachi yelled, "Wait, that's not for eating!" Kagura flinched and dropped it, hissing as more pain scorched across her skin.

Shinpachi frantically waved his arms around. "Are you alright, did you hurt yourself, oh no, I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry if-"

"Oh be quiet, I'm not hurt!" Kagura snapped, her temper flaring in place of her embarrassment and pain. "And stop saying sorry, you are _such_ a Patsuan!"

Shinpachi stopped abruptly, shocked at the sudden flip in character. Kagura mentally cursed herself. After a long and awkward silence, Kagura mumbled, "S-so, what's this for if it's not for eating?"

Shinpachi mumbled back, "It's for poultice. Y… yarrow, y'know?" He glanced up hopefully before he was met with a blank stare. He looked down disappointedly.

"O-oh, really, um, so, could you help me? W-with that," Kagura stammered, jumping onto the opportunity for more talk, less awkward silences. "And your name? I am Kagura," she added hastily.

Shinpachi blinked. "My name is Shimura Shinpachi," he replied slowly. He shuffled to his knees in a boyish manner that didn't match his height but then he shook his head. "First show me your arm. Right one first," he ordered, grabbing a couple herbs. Kagura opened her mouth subconsciously against the command before the burnished color eyes slid to meet hers.

 _...Geh…_

She held out her arm and clamped shut her mouth. Kagura shivered as he slowly rolled up her sleeve, but unlike the vicious grips that customers had to tried to grab her with, his hands were… surprisingly… gentle. Cautious. Overly so, as though she was made of silk. Kagura gulped and turned away as he tugged at the cloth wrapping her arm. Iit easily slipped off, but dried yarrow leaves remained stuck on the dried blood. Shinpachi began picking at them patiently. Kagura felt goosebumps begin running down her arm. _What the hell Kagura, get a hold of yourself!_ She desperately clung onto a topic to talk.

"U-uh, so, why were you with Sadist?" she blurted.

Shinpachi blinked before Kagura quickly added, "Okita Sougo. Him."

Faster than a summer storm, his expression darkened. The fingers stopped. "... Why don't you ask him. He's… resting. Next room over."

"Hm." Kagura vaguely remembere rolls of bandages wrapped around his arm back in the restaurant. "Did he hurt himself?" she wondered aloud.

Shinpachi stiffened. "I hurt him."

Kagura whipped around to stare squarely at Shinpachi, shock flashing in her eyes.

"I hurt him," Shinpachi repeated without batting an eye. "I was going to kill him."

Kagura could only watch him, mouth dry. _That Sadist… he would never lose so… so…_ "Then why were you with him? Why is he alive?" Her eyes hardened. "... Why are you helping me?"

Shinpachi snorted. "Believe me, he wouldn't have been alive if Kyuubei-san didn't interfere." But Kagura caught a hint of doubt lingering in his words.

"And me?"

"I don't abandon innocent people; even if you were traveling with him, it was probably out of obligation. After all," Shinpachi curled his lip in disgust. "No one would want to stay around a monster."

Kagura felt a sliver of ice slit her heart, those words and that expression far too similar to what was so, so, tiringly often said to her.

"Oh really."

A prickle ran down her spine at the familiar voice. The outer slide opened. Kagura's jaw opened as Okita stood outside, additional bandages placed on his cheeks. His crimson eyes glinted through a sheen of weariness.

"That's right," Shinpachi said as he finished tying the knot to her own bandages. He stood, all hints of the awkward boy gone and replaced with a menacing shadow. "You and the Shinsengumi are just little dogs wagging their tails for money, bowing and scraping in the mud they throw at you. Poor things," he sneered. "You can't even think on your own."

Okita didn't say a word, neither denying nor affirming. Kagura's eyes flashed between the two, the hairs at the nape of her neck rising in the crackling tension.

"Why don't you say something," Shinpachi hissed. He took two strides, jumped outside, and grasped the cuff of Okita's hakama, shoving him upward so the two were face to face.

"Come on, talk!" Shinpachi yelled. "Why don't you say explain why you killed so many innocent people! Why you had to-!" His voice splintered like a tree trunk struck by lightning. Okita stared, vacant eyes watching the storm of emotion in front of him yet looking backward into the past.

Shinpachi slowly let go. Okita unblinkingly stared as a bitter smile pulled back Shinpachi's mouth. "You _are_ a monster," he whispered. "You won't even say anything to defend yourself. I hate you so much, it could kill you."

"Good," Okita replied softly. "Hate me."

Shinpachi's eyes narrowed, but he whipped around and swept past Kagura, slamming the slides behind him.


	10. Chapter 9

A/N: Here is the ninth chapter! Hope it isn't boring… Thank you for reading! (also I tried to delete ooc-ness, but I'm sorry if it's still around here)

: Thank you! *cries tears of joy*

~meowmeow814

* * *

Curls of clouds choked the moon, its moonlight and shadow flooding the house in cinder and ink. Kagura watched Okita lean against the single tree, all color seeming to drain away from his being. The night was so still, even the crickets were hesitant to sing, and the darkness so thick, the shadows oozed and pooled like a nest of vipers. The dried shrubs and prickly bushes were thin and badly kept, like gnarled nails.

At last, Kagura cleared her throat. "What did you do to make someone hate you that much?" she asked quietly.

Okita stared ahead, unblinking. "Something castle-bound and ignorant little girls would faint upon hearing," he replied emotionlessly.

"Castle-bound and ignorant little girls don't get branded, whipped, and cut," Kagura retorted.

"You don't act like you've just been tortured."

The words and insults disintegrated in Kagura's mouth. She turned away to stare down at her hands, clenching and unclenching them, wringing away the blanket. Okita tilted his head slightly towards her, only barely, to see the metallic silvery-red hair from the corner of his eye.

At last she murmured, half to herself, "There's no more harm left to be done… At least not like there. I can't hurt anyone as easily."

"What do you mean," Okita said curtly.

By now Kagura was aware of how he had shifted the conversation away from himself. She gave a wry smile. "And why should I answer you when you won't answer me?" she asked.

"Because you and I are _completely_ different." Okita waved his hand in dismissal. He began tracing the ridges of the tree bark listlessly. "There's no point in trying to explain to a girl who's blissfully ignorant with no cares or worries. You couldn't possibly understand anything about someone like-"

He flinched as Kagura shot outside and slammed him into the tree. For a second, Okita saw spots dotting his vision.

"What do you know about me?" Kagura hissed, nose to nose with him. Her voice rose into a shout, "You don't know anything but you act like you know everything about me! How do you know that I haven't seen hell, huh?! I've _lived_ in it!"

Disgusted, Kagura let go and took a shaky step back.

After a brief pause: "... And? Are we done here?" Okita said, his voice and expression chillingly unchanging.

Kagura gritted her teeth and clenched her jaw at the bored eyes.

"... You're a waste of breath," Kagura whispered. Okita said nothing again, neither in denial nor clambered back inside and smashed the slides shut.

After a long, long silence, Okita slid downward, collapsing into a mess of limbs. He stared at the slides. _Was what I said so wrong?_ he wondered vacantly. _It was what I thought honestly…?_ Okita groaned and leaned back, glaring at the starless sky. _God, I hate emotions._

~o~

Dawn found Kagura and Okita stuffed in the bottom of a carriage.

"Now, you two need to stay here since the pursuers know what you both look like," Kyuubei ordered. Kyuubei glanced at Kagura in concern, almost completely sure she hadn't heard the the introductions earlier from Kagura's glazed eyes and bruise-like bags. "We'll be disguising as silk traders between Okabe and Honjo, but, well… we won't have silk since it'll be you two in the storage compartment. It should… it should be fine though… We'll get through," Kyuubei said, with some conviction. Okita nodded while Kagura nodded off to sleep.

With that, Kyuubei shut the trapdoor and a scratchy sound dragged across the top, to which Okita could only guess was a rug.

Okita felt a cramp in his folded legs already, and sharp pain in the balls of his feet as they fell asleep. The floorboards above creaked, and two pairs of feet shuffled in. Soon after, the wooden spokes gave a concerning screech as the cart began rolling forward, mud sucking all of the wheels. A snotty snort revealed the oxen dragging the carriage.

Finished with his observations, Okita blinked in the darkness. He closed his eyes but the black didn't change a cinch. _Is this what being blind is like?_

"Why do I need to be stuck with you…" Kagura muttered beside him. "You're the last person I'd ever want to be in this kind of super-cliche-shoujo-manga situation in."

"Yeah, who'd want to with a chihuahua?" Okita said in agreement.

"Shut up, Sadi-! Mmgfh!" Kagura flinched as Okita guessed where her cheeks were and squashed them. He leaned forward, snickering, "We need to be quiet, China, or else they'll find us~"

Kagura roughly shook his hands away. Amusement fading, Okita sighed. After a long silence partially filled in with creaking below and shuffling above, Okita said flatly, "Yesterday, did I say something wrong."

Kagura didn't reply.

"... Oi, Chi-"

Kagura snorted. "What kind of Ooc crap are you pulling, Sadist."

Okita rolled his eyes and irritably growled, "Just tell me so that I can calm the tiny piece of conscious I have."

"Humph. No way. Go suffer." She returned to her silence.

 _How ironic_ , Okita thought. "Well-"

"Oi, stop your cart!"

Okita froze as the cart jerked to a halt. _Shiiiit…_ Shivering in anticipation, Okita clenched the sword hilts at his side. He strained his ears, but could only catch snippets of the conversation.

"Traders… heading to sell… no… well, yes, but… No! Wait, stop please!"

Almost immediately after, the latch was flung open and sunlight shot into Okita's eyes, blinding him.

"What?! These are fugitives! Not to mention… the ones who are wante-! Blugh!" A loud thud accompanied by scrabbling sounds shuffled outside.

 _What? What's happening?!_ Okita frantically thought, but his thoughts stopped cold when something warm splattered across his face.

When the spots cleared from his vision a few seconds later, the cart was absolutely demolished in the middle of a long wooden bridge. Debris floated down the sluggish river beneath. Okita blinked, and stepped forward when an arm shot out and blocked him.

"Don't… don't leave," Kagura choked, and Okita thought for a moment, _Excuse me, were we like this?_ when he heard a (rather pleasant) laugh.

"Ahaha, *imouto-chan, since when did you have a lover?"

*imouto: younger sister

* * *

A/N: Lol, no hints needed for who this will be… Though I completely ditched my whole plot plan. Yay, ahaha, hope this story can keep on going… oh gosh.

Thank you so much for reading!


	11. Chapter 10

(A/N at end this time)

Boots sharply clacked on the wooden bridge as he swaggered forward. "It's been such a long time, I've missed you, *imouto-chan," Kamui drawled, lazily flicking blood off his nails. "To think my little sister already has a _lover_. *Nii-chan doesn't approve of this one bit."

"He's _not_ my lover! Just a stranger!" Kagura shouted, voice cracking at the risked a glance back and her heart dropped a thousand feet. Shinpachi was pinned beneath the overturned cart, and although Kyuubei was slashing away at it, it was far too dense for her rapier to slice through quickly.

"Oi Kamui, should we finish those two off?" A huge man with shaggy dun hair inquired, with a nod to the cart.

"Hmm? If you'd like to Abuto," Kamui said absentmindedly, his focus shifting to Okita. Kamui made a gun being shot motion and his face stretched into a smile, but the blue-white eyes were slabs of ice.

"Ka-Kamui, what are you doing here?" Kagura blurted, frantically searching for something, anything, to say. "You're not… well… supposed to be here-"

"Aha, shut up loser. No one cares about what you say." Without hesitation, Kamui exploded forward umbrella extended. Okita shoved Kagura aside and ripped out his swords with a metallic screech. The weapons smashed against each other, and the shock surged through Okita's arms, numbing them faster than a dump of ice-water.

"Heh, this could be interesting," Kamui said with a wolfish grin as the weapons trembled between the two. He slowly began twisting the umbrella, inciting a long, shrill squeal between the weapons.

"... Are you part of the Harusame? Is this about the restaurant?" Okita said flatly. His palms began to burn as the hilts grinded against them.

"Oh no. I mean, yes, we are part of the Harusame. But oh no. Not at all. Who cares about that restaurant?" Kamui broke forward and the umbrella hurtled right in Okita's face. Okita instantly crouched, adrenaline sluicing through his blood as his hair ruffled from the force of the lunge.

"What. Do you mean by that?!" Okita said through gritted teeth, sweeping Kamui's legs from beneath him with his own. Kamui rolled forward before backflipping into the air. He landed lightly on the wooden rail of the bridge. Kamui gave a peaceful smile.

"I mean, that restaurant's just an excuse for us to capture my sister," he said with a flippant shrug.

Okita blinked. "You were… expecting her to escape?"

"Oh, she had to be able to do that much for the Tendoushuu to pay attention." Without waiting for Okita to respond, Kamui bulldozed on ahead. "May I ask you a question? What do you think gets in the way of getting strong the most?"

Okita narrowed his eyes. Kamui smiled back impishly. Okita paused for another moment more, before he slowly said, "Morality."

"Oh, that's good!" Kamui clapped his hands in delight. "But, dear samurai, that is simply not true." Kamui's smile twisted into a smirk. "As you will soon see-"

"No, I'll never join!"

Okita and Kamui paused and then swiveled their eyes to the source of the shout. Kagura was snapping back her arm from Abuto's grip as she hissed, "As if I'd ever join the criminal organization Kamui's in."

Abuto gave her a blank stare. "You'd think siblings are alike," he said half to himself.

"I'm nothing like Kamui," Kagura growled.

"Hmm, true true," he admitted. "But you can't deny your Yato blood."

"Yes I can! I am and I've always done so, it's never-"

"But it has. At Okabe." Abuto gave a knowing look that sent both ice and thorns up Kagura's back.

 _What do you know about me?! Stop giving me that look, stop it, stop it!_ "Y… your people tricked me. Or forced me. I… I didn't do what I did on purpose," Kagura said, forcing a haughty smile. She clenched her fists so tight, her nails sunk in her skin. She struggled down a swallow. "It w-wasn't my fault."

Abuto gave an expression that practically shone _nailed it_. "But you did," he said simply. "You lost control so easily, it was like a joke. Like it was nothing. And it was. What actually keeps you from killing?" He gave a sharp clap of his hands and grinned wryly as Kagura flinched, tenser than a coiled snake, the facade of calmness evaporating. "Nothing."

Abuto waited a moment longer for a response, but Kagura was silent. He shrugged and turned to Kamui.

"We were in the middle of meeting _him_ weren't we? He won't be happy if we're late. Maybe won't even join us."

Kamui made a perfect o-shape with his mouth. He gave a pensive look between Abuto and Okita before sighing. "Hmm, guess I'll have to save this fun for later. Shall we take her?" Kamui pointed at Kagura.

"No, we can resolve that later. The Tendoushuu can wait," Abuto said. He shrugged on a knapsack on one broad shoulder. "Let's go, Kamui." Abuto leapt off the bridge, quickly followed by Kamui, who gave a roguish wink at Okita before jumping after him. Okita followed them with his eyes as they swiftly swam to a small raft awaiting on the opposite bank. In three blinks, they were already pinpricks downstream in the shadows of the mountains.

Okita took a deep breath and rose to his feet. He sheathed his sword, and glanced back. Shinpachi was dusting off his clothes, and the cart behind him was utterly demolished. _I didn't want to walk_ , Okita thought dimly. But then Okita's focus slid to the red-head standing in front of him stock-still. _But more importantly..._

"Oi, what did that guy- Abuto? Abuto mean when he was talking to you," Okita said bluntly, striding forward. Kagura jerked her head up, eyes wide. She took an unsteady step back, one hand flailing back to grip the rail.

"I...uh…" she mumbled, words jumbling in her numb mouth. "Well… um…"

"Yes?" Okita said impatiently, the irritation tinged in his voice not lost on Kagura.

"It... has nothing to do with you," she replied coldly. Kagura pushed off the rail and turned towards the cart when Okita snatched her hand. He yanked her back and snapped, "Well it kinda does when you're the reason we got involved with them in the first place."

Kagura tried to pull away, but Okita clenched harder. She winced, and her hand became limp. Kagura bit her lip, chewing it into shreds as Okita steadily watched on.

At last, Kagura whispered in a quiet, quiet voice, almost lost in the windless air, "They wanted me to join Harusame, okay? That's… that's it."

"No, but what about Okabe… that was about the restaurant wasn't it-"

Kagura slipped her hand away, and before Okita could take it back, she was already running down the bridge towards Kyuubei and Shinpachi.

 _What the… Damn it, she avoided the question…_ Okita thought. Resigning himself to ask later, he briskly followed her to the others.

Shinpachi was speaking. "Well, I suppose… we're not wanted anymore? So I suppose we don't need this cart anymore…" He gestured vaguely to the remaints, but wrinkled his nose as a foul stench spiraled into the air. "What is-? Oh."

Okita stared at what Shinpachi was looking at: the unblinking dead eyes of the ox, and a pale hand sticking from beneath it.

"... That's certainly pleasant, but we do need to clean this up. The cow and the driver. Also the cart," Kyuubei said coolly. Shinpachi whipped around, but Kyuubei already had her sword out and stepped forward.

"Wait, wait a second Kyuubei-san! We need to give him a proper burial first!" Shinpachi rushed in front of Kyuubei, barring her path.

"What? The cow?" she said blankly.

"No! Not the cow; what are you saying?! The driver, the driver! What joke are you pulling?"

"Ah… yes, that's, that's right. Yes. You're right." As though in a trance, Kyuubei backed away, and Shinpachi had to remind her to sheath her sword. Okita blinked. _Usually she's so focused but… why now?_ he wondered as he helped drag the rest of the debris and the cow off the dead driver with Shinpachi. Kagura stood by wordlessly, in her own trance that Okita was not about to interrupt again.

The four crossed the rest of the bridge, which ended in a small plot of land in the middle of the river. Okita stared at the rigid and stern mountains crowning the land before them. Gray as angered storm clouds and complete with smoke-black tips, they seemed anything but friendly. A hurried wind skipped across the placid river, and Okita shivered at the chill.

There was enough land to hastily gather the broken frame of the cart into a funeral pyre and burn the poor driver's body. It was morning, but the unmoving expanse of clouds and moisture in the air gave a dreary feel to everything. Okita watched the body slowly catch on fire, and then eventually disintegrate.

"I wonder if someday I'll die like this. With strangers. In a random death that could've happened to anyone," Okita mused as the last ember finally flickered into oblivion.

"Why?"

Okita turned in surprise to see Kyuubei sitting on the ground next to him. She blankly stared into the fire.

"...What do you mean?"

But she didn't reply. Not then, and not for the rest of the day. Okita was left in the dark about so many things he wondered, _But why was this chapter written?_

* * *

A/N: Momentary 4th wall breaking, but really, this chapter is pretty important in the plot (Geez Okita). But anywhoo…

Thank you to everyone who's been reading this fanfic! Wow, can't believe it's already the 10th chapter….0-0 But, unfortunately, as school is starting very soon for me, I will no longer be able to keep up with regular, weekly updates. Updates will be scarce and around clusters of no-school days, but hopefully of good quality. I'm really sorry…

Thank you to Pure Red Crane for beta-reading as per always!

momo: Haha, yeah, it's pretty clear. XD


	12. Chapter 11

Kagura felt nausea just from the sight of the dinghy floating toward them from the other side. Because the bridge only went up to the land in the middle of the river, the only way to the other bank was by boat.

Kagura did not trust this flimsy, half-rotten banana peal of a boat.

 _Ugh, this is the last thing I need_ , she thought with a scowl. As the four squished in, the raftsman gave a lurch forward with a slender bamboo pole, and off they went. As Kagura peered over, her reflection shimmered between the ripples. Despite Shinpachi and Kyuubei practically breathing down her neck, she managed to thoughtfully muse. _I didn't think I looked like this_ , Kagura thought as bleary eyes lethargically blinked, and her crimson hair sprung loose hairs.

Kagura reached over to smoothen her hair. In doing so, her hand accidentally brushed Okita's hakama. Her hand froze where it was. _I-I don't want to look at him_ , Kagura thought as her hand slowly grew clammier and clammier.

From the corner of her eye, Okita raised a hand before Kagura yelped and jerked her own away. The boat reeled back violently, nearly capsizing and spilling its passengers. After a horrifically long, breath-bated moment, the boat slipped back into its regular position. Kagura breathed a sigh of relief and turned to sit properly when Okita stared directly at her.

He gave her a strange look, half smirk, half frown, and looked away. Kagura opened her mouth but a warning glance from Kyuubei caused her to squirm, and instead stare silently at her feet. Every once in a while, Kagura would look out but the opposing bank seemed so far away, her hopeful eyes would be met with disappointment. To make matters worse, the soft wood beneath her feet squelched like a sodden rug every time she moved, and every squeal earned her a tired look from Kyuubei. At long last, Kagura decided to focus on the stiff, neutral mountains.

When the boat finally hit the shore with a soft thud, Kagura bolted out, nearly capsizing it again.

"Yahoooo!" she whooped and tumbled out on the shore, laughing as sand flew up and then quickly cursing it as it spew into her eyes. Kagura sighed and flopped down. _That felt like foreveeeeer,_ she internally groaned and closed her eyes, the sensation of something solid beneath her comforting. That was, until something dangled down to her nose, tickling her.

Kagura sneezed, and rubbed her nose. _Wha…_ She blinked, and Okita was snickering as he twitched the reed. On cue, Kagura sneezed again before she rolled to sit upright, rubbing the tears forming in her eyes.

"What the heck Sadist," she growled but Okita was already up and ahead, too far for her to throw a punch.

Kagura took a better look around her surroundings. Beyond the swaying reeds and shrubbery lining the shore, a charming town stood before her. In the faded noon, a cobblestoned path bordered with stone lamps led to shop after shop flooded with silk. From a simple azure to shining gold, lilting soft peonies and soaring scarlet firebirds… As Kagura walked forward in awe, each silk fold seemed to unfurl into an ancient epic. The cross-legged merchants chatted up a storm every time she leaned forward to get a better look.

"Would'ya like to try one?"

"Oh, well, no, I'm fine-"

"I'm sure _this_ would look wonderful, 'specially with your hair!" Rough hands thrust forward a bundle of silk.

"No, I-"

"*Ojo-san, leave dat geezer and come see our silk! We have the best in all o' Japan, I must say. Come, come!"

"Uh, I-"

"Ojo-san! 'ere, this would-"

"Try _this_ ; oriental feel, authentic!"

"Pshah, that flab of pig skin is an insult to silk."

"Whadya say?! Yar a flabbo pig!"

"Wha-! You always ate more zhan me, I've know _you_ since befor yar waz born!"

Kagura was beginning to feel dizzy from the sheer number of silk being thrown this way and that, when a hand quietly took hers and pulled her out of the crowd of smelly, competitive, childhood friend merchants. Shinpachi and Kagura slipped into a quiet alley, stuffed with sad, cracked looms, torn silk, and stacks of rotten mulberry leaves. A whiff of wood, dust, and mold kicked up as they crouched down and caught their breath.

"Are you alright?" Shinpachi inquired. Kagura nodded but her hair caught on a splintered loom.

"Crud," she muttered as her fingers fumbled above her.

"Let me try." Shinpachi leaned over. Kagura flinched, but he didn't see. His clean smell filled Kagura's nose, almost clear compared to the muggy scent of the alley. _What am I doing?_ Kagura wondered, and her ears were beginning to burn. Shinpachi was careful that only his fingers touched her, but Kagura sensed the heat emanating off his barely-touching-my-face close clothes. The burn was melting away her entire face now.

"Got it!" Kagura snapped out of her thoughts as Shinpachi exclaimed.

"T-thanks," Kagura said, giving a hesitant smile. "Also for helping me earlier… from the crowd." _Th… that's right, h-he's just Patsuan, ahaha, what am I thinking._

"Sure." Shinpachi paused before he asked, "So… do you want to go find the others now?" Kagura pricked her ears as she caught a catch in his voice. She cocked her head up, blue eyes reflecting what dim light spilled into the alley.

"... Nah, let's explore without them."

"Eh?" Shinpachi jolted as Kagura leaped to her feet. She spun around, a wide smile on her face. "C'mon, it'll be so much more fun without those two partypoopers," she said with a laugh. Shinpachi felt his heart trip but Kagura was already grabbing his hand and they tumbled out into the street.

~o~

The sails beat in the wind like a throbbing heart.

As Soyo ran her fingertips along the grooved wooden rail, she stared out into the empty sea. The waves skimming along the mercenary ship folded over themselves like the heavy satin from the West, but other than that, the ocean was still. That monstrous expanse of blank blue-grey was dead silent. Yet the dull thud of the sails began palpitating, faster and faster, as the wind started roiling against it like a chained dog. Soyo's nails stopped and dug into the wood. A sharp whip of brine slashed her face.

A hand landed on her shoulder. "Time's up."

Soyo stiffened, but noded silently. The soldier wheeled her around back to her cabin. _"Cabin"_ Soyo thought dryly as the key clicked shut the storage. The single clouded panel of glass showed nothing she hadn't already seen outside, and Soyo was bored to death. She sighed and sank into her usual corner that she had swept clean of cobwebs. Soyo straightened her legs and watched her feet pressed against the opposing wall. _Now what to do…_

At first she had been frightened. Terrified. _But a couple days onboard, and now they're least letting me out once a day_ , Soyo mused. _Soldiers are normal, and if I'm allowed out, then I guess Hijikata-san and the others haven't been making any trouble onboard. Unless... well, unless..._

 _No, they… they couldn't have._ Soyo chewed her cracked and brittle lips, but the thought lingered. "No… I-! No! They're not dead!" Soyo jumped to her feet, fists clenched. She began furiously pacing the cramped compartment, clenching and unclenching her hands. "They're not dead, they're not, they can't be. I… I absolutely forbid it. No."

"This is war. People die."

Soyo whipped around, eyes wide. The door was slightly ajar, and the person who spoke was still outside the room. The voice was different from the any of the escorting soldiers she had had curt talks with. It was tired, tired in the way that smeared with a heart-wrenching long for an end.

Soyo had only ever heard this tone from her brother, just a waver once in a blue moon. But this tone was flattened with exhaustion.

Soyo gulped and replied hesitatingly, "But if the Joui weren't aggressors-"

"It's a war, ime-sama," he repeated and Soyo clamped shut her mouth. "There must be people who pay the price and be crushed. Something beyond the fear of death."

Soyo narrowed her eyes. "...Who are you? What do you want?" The words escaped as a whisper.

He barked a laugh, but it was without mirth. "You will be entertaining us, Soyo-hime, at dinner tonight. Oh, nothing fancy as you are accustomed to, as we Joui do not dine upon the rotted carcasses of our people. I am here to escort you, Soyo-hime." The door flung open, its hinges shrieking in protest. The man stepped in.

"Pleasure to be acquainted with you," he said smoothly. "My name is Takasugi Shinsuke."

*Ojo-san: mistress/ lady

* * *

A/N: Taka-chiiiiiiiiiin (or not, haha). Yay, another new character~~~

Thank you for reading FTD chapter 11! Also, big thanks to Pure Red Crane for always reading over the chapters. :)

Eizleina Kyoutarin: Heehee, thank you so much for reading this far! Well, I suppose Kamui's kinda like that in canon so it's a bit hard to portray him otherwise… But I do hope my plot remains original and interesting! I tried to make the characters according to the movies (so everyone's technically a bit more mature…? ) My hope is to add as many characters as I can into this fanfic, so Gin-chan will certainly turn up. :)


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